Secretary of State Intends to Certify Ref. 71 by Wednesday for the Nov. Election

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Washington Families Standing Together <info@wafst.org>
Date: Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Subject: Contribute Today, Secretary of State Intends to Certify Ref.
71 by Wednesday for the Nov. Election
To: Susan Sheary <kcdcc1@gmail.com>

The Secretary of State's office is finishing the final steps of the
signature verification process and has indicated its intention to
certify Referendum 71 by Wednesday.

If you have been holding off contributing to see if Ref. 71 qualifies
for the ballot, or if you have given a small amount with the plan to
give more once the Secretary of State announces his decision, now is
the time to make your donation. Please make a contribution today to
Washington Families Standing Together — the Approve Ref 71 campaign to
keep our state's domestic partnership law.

The voters guide statements are already due, overseas and military
ballots are mailed out in only 4 weeks, and the rest of the ballots
hit the mail October 16th. That's just 6 weeks away.

Last week, the State Public Disclosure Commission unanimously rejected
a request from the far right opponents of the domestic partnership law
to hide their contributors from public disclosure requirements.  This
week there will be another hearing in federal court on their continued
efforts to hide all of the petition signers from public disclosure.
And we have a hearing today on their attempt to avoid disclosing who
circulated their petitions by leaving the declarations on the backs of
petitions blank, or stamping them with the name of their campaign
manager.

While it is important to vigorously challenge the far right's efforts
to skirt the law, and we have put together a top notch pro bono legal
team to do that, we can't afford to have those legal battles slow us
down.  Critical campaign activities that must be undertaken now.

Our field staff already have phone banks going out of our Seattle
office 5 days a week and will soon be adding phone banking locations
across the state, starting with Tacoma. We are working with our
coalition  organizations and congregations to coordinate resources and
educate voters. We have placards and other materials at the printer.
We have distribution centers identified across the state where people
will be able to pick up campaign materials.  And don't forget the
resources available on our website such as our handouts and online
store where you can buy everything from Approve Referendum 71 T-shirts
to tote bags to help get the message out wherever you can.

This is important work which will depend greatly upon your
contributions. These are hard economic times, and the protections
contained in the domestic partnership law are more important than
ever. We need everyone to make the largest contribution they can
afford!

We said it before, but you'll hear us say it often - Ballots mail on
October 16th.  That gives us just 6 weeks. Donate today.

Sincerely,

Joshua Friedes
Washington Families Standing Together
Campaign Manager